Soldier Silhouettes at Sunset

Silhouettes of soldiers against dramatic sunset backdrops, showcasing tactical gear and weaponry in various poses, conveying a sense of readiness and heroism.

Silhouette of rifleman carrying tactical backpack and service rifle, with background of sunset sky.

U.S. Marines attached to 2nd Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment - "The Lava Dogs" take up position on a ridge top during Lava Viper aboard Pohakuloa Training Area, Hi., May 29, 2015. "The Lava Dogs" attacked an enemy compound in this simulated training event.

A Soldier from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division kneels in an over-watch position on top of a qualot wall during Operation Steel Sky, an air assault mission near the village of Shakhmodkhel Dec. 21.

Silhouette of rifleman carrying tactical backpack and service rifle, with background of sunset sky.

Silhouette of US marine with rifle against the sunset

Silhouette of a soldier standing amongst smoke, armed with an assault rifle.

A Team Dover member stands guard at sunset during Liberty Eagle Readiness Exercise 2022 at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, July 13, 2022. The 436th and 512th Airlift Wings tested their ability to generate, employ and sustain airpower across the world in a contested and degraded operational environment.

U.S. Marine Corps K-9 handlers currently assigned to the Military Working Dog (MWD Team Deployment Training course pose for a photo with their MWD while conducting detection training on the Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), Feb. 25, 2019. The MWD Team Deployment Training Course is a three-week long course where MWD Handlers from all three Marine Expeditionary Forces advance their dog team capabilities by focusing on teaching teams to become effective and lethal assets.

Silhouette of army infantry in tactical ammunition and backpack on back, standing in desert with service rifle on ground with bright sunset on background. Missing in action, fallen in battle soldier. Army soldier silhouette on rising sun background

Silhouette of rifleman carrying tactical backpack and service rifle, with background of sunset sky.

October 10, 2012 - U.S. Air Force members of the 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron battlefield weather forecasters, make a weather observation at Forward Operating Base Masum Ghar, Afghanistan.

Silhouette of a United States Marine during a combat patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

Silhouette of U.S. Marine With M4 During Combat Operation in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

Silhouette of a soldier shooting rifle while standing knee deep in water.

041028-F-1178W-004. Base: Osan Air Base Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

U.S. Army Spc. Justin Towe scans his area while on a mission with Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division in Al Muradia village, Iraq, March, 13, 2007. Towe is assigned to 4th Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

U.S. Marines with Light Armored Reconnaissance Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/8, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), observe a live fire range from a light armored vehicle during Realistic Urban Training (RUT) on Fort Barfoot, Virginia, Jan. 21, 2024. RUT provides the 24th MEU the opportunity to operate in unfamiliar environments, integrate the units of the Marine Air Ground Task Force, and train towards being designated as special operations capable.

Silhouette of a soldier smoking cigarette at night against a red sunset sky.

060717-N-6901L-045. Base: Al Mushahada State: Diyala Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Army Pvt. Brandon Simpson-Goldsby, from 3rd Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, scales the rooftop of each home to provide security during a three-day air assault mission to search for weapons caches and high value insurgents in Upper Dugmut, Iraq, April 3, 2008.

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - As the sun sets behind U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jamie R. Johnson, a platoon sergeant from Park Hills, Mo., assigned to Bayonet Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, Task Force No Slack, he peers into the floors of the Shigal Valley in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar Province Mar. 17.

060123-A-6365W-044. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Zafaraniyah Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Silhouette of soldier standing with rifle in hands against a moonlit night sky.

Silhouette of modern infantry soldier standing with assault rifle on colored background.

Soldiers from the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) arrive at Dugway Proving Ground in support of an agile combat employment joint exercise on Sept. 8, 2022. This joint force exercise incorporates more than six militarys entities across three branches creating innovative operational concepts to allow quick response to an ever-changing wartime horizon.

Silhouette of police officer with weapons at sunset

silhouette and over the sunrise background cannon soldiers team standing holding gun in Thailand

Silhouette of a soldier standing amongst smoke, armed with an assault rifle.

Silhouette of a U.S. Marine Corps Marsoc raider aiming pistol, gray background.

M3A2 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle

Providers assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division conduct security operations on Fort Bragg, NC, March 29, 2022. The Field Training Exercise ensures Paratroopers stand ready to fight, win, and meet the 18 hour deployment standard.

DN-SN-89-05083. Subject Operation/Series: VALIANT USHER 88 Base: Unknown

060918-G-2023P-503. Base: Boston State: Massachusetts (MA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Marines in action on a smoke filled battlefield.

A beautiful silhouette, but a grim warning to enemy aircraft. These English soldiers mount an AA gun to defend the drome of an RAAF unit in the Western Desert. January 19, 1951. (Photo by A.F.F. Official Photo).

U.S. Marines with Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, pose for a photo during the battalions first field training exercise (FEX) of 2024, Pyramid Rock Training Area, MCBH, Jan. 10, 2024. The FEX was conducted in order to increase combat readiness, unit morale and camaraderie.

Marines with Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct a leaders reconnaissance during Amphibious Squadron/Marine Expeditionary Unit Integration Training (PMINT) aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 5, 2015. The Marines of BLT 3/1 used PMINT to hone their skills in a field environment to improve their combat effectiveness as a unit.

With The A.A. Guns On Active Service -- This is one of a new series of photographs taken by a photographer who spent several days with the A.A. batteries somewhere in England and where Nazi planes make frequent appearances. An officer producing unit, the battery has reached a high states of efficiency, and it is exciting to watch how quickly the guns get into action following an alarm. Every minute of the twenty four hours, day and night (except when it is their turn off duty) the crews are ready for instant action. A gun crew standing to at Dawn Silhouetted against the rising sun. November 01, 1940. (Photo by Central Press Photos Ltd.).

F-15 EagleUS Air National Guard

Security Watch Beneath Orange Sky

Special forces machine gunner in Army kayak, moving calmly across the river at dusk.

Black silhouette of soldier in the burning fire during a battle operation.

Lance Cpl. Pablo Perez, a rifleman with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, provides security during Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) training at Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 3, 2013. The training, taught by 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion instructors, covered CIED tactics and techniques in a Military Operations in Urban Terrain environment.

Members from the 124th Security Forces Squadron participate in a 9/11 memorial ruck march at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Sept 24, 2022. Every September, In an effort to never forget the lives lost on 9/11 or the lives given in the war that followed, memorial marches like this one are previlant accross the military.

120705-N-WD757-120ARABIAN SEA (July 5, 2012) Sailors stand watch on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and combat flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

private military contractor with rifle against the sun

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 7, 2013) Sailors line up during a fire fighting training exercise on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). George H.W. Bush is conducting training and carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean.

Black silhouette of soldier at night under moonlight.

Air National Guard airmen attend the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) 5-level pipeline training course, ran by the 138th Combat Training Flight, at Fort Chaffee, AR, Aug. 29, 2016. This course services all of the Air National Guard TACP units and is ran exclusively by the Oklahoma Air National Guard.

U.S. Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, participate in a live-fire exercise aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), June 28, 2022. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 22nd MEU, under the command and control of Task Force 61/2, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

Silhouette of special forces soldiers wading through water with rifles drawn at night.

SOUTHERN SHORSHORK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Lance Cpl. Travis S. Lane, team leader, 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, patrols farmland near where Lima Company first established an observation post in Southern Shorshork, Helmand province, Afghanistan, as part of Operation Cobra, June 16. Lane is from Green Bay, Wisc. Operation Cobra is a joint operation between Marine Corps units and the Afghanistan National Army to disrupt enemy forces which have been using the sparsely populated region between Marjah and Nawa as a safe haven.

Silhouetted in the setting sun a security policeman talks into his radio while standing guard on the flight line near a C-5 Galaxy airlifter. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Country: Unknown

Paratroopers across the 82nd Airborne Division execute the 12 mile road march as part of one of the last events in the road to earning their E3B on Fort Bragg, NC, April 8, 2023. 371 Paratroopers and Soldiers across multiple units and locations successfully completed E3B.

Silhouette of a soldier giving hand salute, with sunset background.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Chase Montgomery, 15th Air Support Operations Squadron tactical air control party member, sneaks through a bush at Avon Park Auxiliary Airfield, Florida, July 24, 2022. Montgomery was participating in reconnaissance training as part of Agile Flag 22-2. Agile Flag functioned as a contributing certifying event for the 23rd Wing of Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, to validate its ability to deploy, employ, sustain forces and execute priority Mission Essential Tasks in a degraded and operationally limited environment as a Lead Wing. The 15th ASOS was in Avon Park to provide control support to the 23rd Wings A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.

030314-F-5712B-010. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Unknown

A bagpiper, dressed in a British military uniform worn during World War II, plays Blood on the Risers, an American paratrooper song from the era sung by airborne units to this day, at the annual Tanks in Town memorial re-enactment event in Estinnes, Belgium, on Aug. 28, 2022. Tanks in Mons, now in its 21st year, brings people together to commemorate the liberation of Belgium and the historic Battle of the Mons Pocket.

An Airman acting as an opposing forces member takes cover and fires at members of the 51st Security Forces Squadron who are securing the wing headquarters building during the last simulated ground attack of an operational readiness exercise Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, at Osan Air Base, South Korea.

SPEC. 4 Alfred Martinez, mechanic from the 17th Engineers, 1ST Cavalry, stands on top of his partially submerged armored personnel carrier (APC) waiting to be rescued during the joint services Operation Gallant Crew '77. Subject Operation/Series: GALLANT CREW '77 Base: Fort Hood State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Jose Colom, an air transportation journeyman with the 156th Contingency Response Group, covers the tail lights of a vehicle prior to night vision loading and unloading of cargo on a C-130J Super Hercules during Southern Strike at Avon Park, Florida, April 24, 2022. Southern Strike 2022 is a large-scale, joint multinational combat exercise hosted by the Mississippi National Guard that provides tactical level training for the full spectrum of conflict.

A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron looks out the back of a CV-22 Osprey during training, Apr 18, 2022. The primary mission of the 8th SOS is to provide rapid global response supporting long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of Special Operations Forces in hostile or denied territories, during day, night, and adverse weather, under one period of darkness.

110106-N-7981E-643 PACIFIC OCEAN (Jan. 6, 2011) A Sailor signals for an F/A-18C Hornet to move forward on the flight deck after landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are on a deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

Backlit silhouette of special forces in military kayak with fire explosion in background.

U.S. Army soldiers, assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, test fire their Bradley Fighting Vehicle for the first time since arriving in Poland. Bore-sighting and zeroing these weapon systems adds to the lethality and combat readiness of the brigade.

Col. Isaac T. Bell, 366th Fighter Wing Deputy commander, fires a M4 carbine at the off-base shooting range on Oct. 5, 2022 outside of Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Airmen must undergo routine weapons qualification training to ensure safety and proficiency standards.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zach Bondi, a special missions aviator assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, checks the rear of an HH-60 Pave Hawk during a combat search and rescue exercise at an undisclosed location, April 28, 2022. Air Forces Central Command's ERQSs are organized, trained, equipped, and postured to conduct full spectrum personnel recovery to include both conventional and unconventional combat rescue operations within the Central Command theater of operations.

A dodecuplet of U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers with the 492nd Civil Affairs Battalion march in unison during the Marche Internationale de Diekirch (MID) event in Buckeye, Arizona on September 18, 2022. The 492nd CAB conducted the MID event in order to build camaraderie and foster unit cohesion, and incentivizing completion with the MID award.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Soldiers with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, walk into the sunset to catch their flight out of Forward Operating Base Pacemaker, Dec. 25. The Soldiers were on a mission to deliver holiday gifts of cookies, candy and personal hygiene products to the outlying FOB. When the Chinook helicopter flew in to pick the Soldiers up, it made dust go into the air, which caused the foggy look of the photograph.

Two Afghan national army soldiers rest atop a berm at Observation Post Huskars in Helmand province, Jan. 14, 2010. The Marines and sailors of Alpha and Weapons Companies, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and attachments from 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, have moved deeper into Helmand province in order to limit the Taliban's control over the area, by having a more prominent coalition force presence in the region.

Jagdkommando soldier of the Austrian special forces, equipped with rifle.

A ground crewman cleans the canopy of a 3rd Tactical Fighter Squadron F-4 Phantom II aircraft before a mission. The squadron is at the base to participtate in the dissimilar aircraft flying Exercise COMMANDO WEST 6 with members of the Royal Thai Air Force. Subject Operation/Series: COMMANDO WEST 6 Base: Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base Country: Thailand (THA)

Army Best Medic Competition Foot March Completion 04

Air Assault candidates rappel off the rappel towers on Camp Buehring, Kuwait, February 20, 2024. After successfully rappeling from the towers, candidates will rappel out of rotary wing aircraft. Army

U.S. Marine Corps Recruits with Bravo Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, execute Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) techniques during a MCMAP test at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Sept. 1, 2022. The purpose of the MCMAP test is to ensure recruits' accuracy and proficiency in tan belt techniques - the first of five belts a Marine can earn.

Maintainers conduct repairs on a CV-22 Osprey June 14, 2011, at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

U.S. Marines with the Maritime Raid Force, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), board a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (Reinforced), prior to conducting a night raid operation during Realistic Urban Training (RUT) at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., Aug. 25, 2017. RUT provides the MEU an opportunity to train in unfamiliar environments in preparation for an upcoming deployment at sea.

Silhouette of young soldier in military helmet against the sun

Tech. Sgt. Timothy Nye, 161st Security Forces Squadron, conducts a base security patrol at Goldwater Air National Guard Base, Ariz., Aug. 7, 2022 . The patrols are conducted to ensure the safety of base personnel and property. (U .S. Air National Guard video by Master Sgt. Michael Matkin)

Amphibious Assault Vehicle at Dusk

A U.S. Navy Corpsman with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, observes a night range performed by Brazilian Marines during Exercise Formosa in Goias, Brazil, Aug. 4, 2022. During this training, U.S. Marines exchanged infantry knowledge and tactics with Brazilian Marines to further enhance mission readiness. Exercise Formosa focused on strengthening relations and interoperability between U.S. and Brazilian Forces, conveying the enduring promise to be a trustworthy neighbor.

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265,Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing transports Marines over Hokkaido, Japan,Oct. 1, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual bilateral exercise designed to strengthen thedefensive capabilities of the U.S.-Japan Alliance by exercising integrated command and control,targeting, combined arms, and maneuver across multiple domains.

A Finnish Soldier with Helicopter Battalion, Utti Jaeger Regiment, inspect a NH90 helicopter during a helicopter support team resupply in preparation for exercise Freezing Winds 22 in Syndalen, Finland, Oct. 18, 2022. Task Force Red Cloud, headquartered by elements of Combat Logistics Battalion 6, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, is deployed to Finland in support of Exercises SYD 2022 and Freezing Winds 2022 to enhance U.S. and Finnish select interdependence in the maritime domain; solidify bilateral maritime maneuver within the Finnish littoral environment; and foster strong relationships between U.S. Marine Corps and Finnish Defense Force sustainment units.

FORT POLK, La. - Senior Airman Chase Litvan, a U.S. Air Force combat controller from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Fort Bragg, N.C. conducts air traffic control operations on the edge of the Geronimo Landing Zone at Fort Polk, La. during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 13-09, Aug. 20, 2013. Combat Controllers are special operations forces and certified FAA air traffic controllers whose mission is to deploy, undetected, into combat and hostile environments to establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously conducting air traffic control, fire support, command and control, direct action, counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, humanitarian assistance, and special reconnaissance.

Man, soldier and smoke in war with back, silhouette and dust in overlay for mockup. Person, marine or veteran in battle for freedom, courage and honor for country for freedom, defense or conflict

Black silhouettes of a pair of soldiers in the burning fire during a battle operation.

DF-ST-86-08655. Base: Fort Irwin State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

SEA OF JAPAN (April 14, 2022) Sailors handle line in the hangar bay of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a fueling-at-sea with the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53). Abraham Lincoln Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268, Aviation Combat Element (ACE), Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) 22, taxis to a staging area after long-range training in Darwin, NT, Australia, May 4, 2022. The ACE conducted air-to-air refuel training to maintain readiness during the MRF-D 22 rotation.

U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Feb. 10, 2013) Sailors signal for the launch of an aircraft on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) during night flight operations. John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom.

Recruits with Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, participate in the Battle of Fallujah event during the Crucible on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Aug. 12, 2022. The Crucible is the culmination of the knowledge and skills recruits learn throughout recruit training.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Losaia Lavatai, 36th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, loads a pallet onto a USAF C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th AS after completing a combat offload at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Feb. 22, 2024. A combat offload is a tactic employed for the quick unloading of aircraft cargo in austere environments where traditional pallet-moving equipment is unavailable. Air Force

A South Korean airman assists with decontamination operations during the South Korea/U.S. combined chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear field training exercise at Daegu Air Base, April 20, 2017. The exercise was coupled with the U.S./South Korea combined airfield damage repair exercise and included classroom study as well as detection and decontamination scenarios.

FIRE-FIGHTERS PUTTING WATER ON A FIRE

DM-SN-85-12984. Base: Norfolk State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

060916-N-9458H-001. Base: New Orleans State: Louisiana (LA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Soldier with 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, mans an M240B machine gun at an observation post during Vigilant Fox, a joint exercise including Finnish soldiers, U.S. Soldiers, and British soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, Rifles Regiment, at Niinisalo, Finland, July 28, 2022. The 3/4th ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe.

U. S. Air Force Col. Jeffrey Krulick, 621st Contingency Response Group Commander, poses for a photo during Turbo Distribution 22-2 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, July 18, 2022. Turbo Distribution is a joint task force-port opening exercise designed to train U.S. Air Force and Army personnel on how to rapidly response to humanitarian aid and disaster response missions.

U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/8, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), board a CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), 24th MEU, prior to a simulated raid during Realistic Urban Training (RUT) on Fort Barfoot, Virginia, Jan. 22, 2024. RUT provides the 24th MEU the opportunity to operate in unfamiliar environments, integrate the units of the Marine Air Ground Task Force, and train towards being designated as special operations capable.

Soldier silhouette with rifle made in 3d software

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